


souls in the stars and moon

by itskurtcoblaine



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fairy Tale Elements, Multi, Rapunzel Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-06-29 19:11:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15735630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itskurtcoblaine/pseuds/itskurtcoblaine
Summary: kurt stepped forward again and placed his hand on blaine's cheek. what kurt wanted to say was "what happened to you?" but he decided to comfort the boy. for all kurt knew, he was the first person blaine had met other than his mother, ever....or the story of the boy in the tower ; lowercase intened





	1. Chapter 1

kurt swirled his food around his plate, only a few bites taken out of the extravagant meal. to kurt it wasn't extravagant, it was just another dinner. he was used to an entire staff of cooks working tirelessly to serve him the best food in all the lands. after all, he was a prince.

his father was the king of merribourne, the largest and most powerful kingdom in esterlyn. the three kingdoms that made up the colorful and diverse country were beldale, wildermont, and of course, merribourne.

beldale was a quaint kingdom that prided itself on its culture. their music and unique fashions were known all around the globe, and they made most of their gold off of trading the jewels found in their land. royal families traveled hundreds of miles to attend their over-the-top parties, and a dance seemed to always be forming in the town square.

wildermont was a very secretive kingdom. no king dared set foot in their deep woods, as they were rumored to have assembled the most powerful and advanced army known to earth. the villages and castle were located deep in a forest, and interactions with other kingdoms in esterlyn were rare. but wildermont also had a rough past, and only rumors could be said about the two children the queen had supposedly birthed many years ago.

kurt had only been to beldale once, and had only seen old paintings of wildermont. his trip to beldale was for the engagement party of his older brother, prince finn, and princess lucile of beldale. she was as beautiful as her kingdom, and was madly in love with finn.

finn took frequent trips to beldale before esterlyn knew of his relationship with their princess. he was allowed to travel along the kingdoms, as he was he eldest, and got what he wanted more often than not. kurt's father, king burton, saw finn and lucile's budding romance as a chance to finally connect the kingdoms and merge their contrasting cultures.

finn was going to be king. but did king burton try to protect him at all costs? no. it was kurt that was locked inside the courtyard fences. kurt was now 20, and he felt it was time for him to explore the country outside of merribourne.

he had a horse of his own, but was only allowed to take mckinley in the fields behind the castle and around the racing tracks on special occasions. his horse's name was mckinley. kurt sometimes considered mckinley to be his best and only friend, and took marvelous care of the strong stallion.

all kurt wanted to do at that moment was ride mckinley all the way out to wildermont, but alas, he was sat at his royal table eating royal food in his royal clothes with his royal family.

"father, when will i be able to travel like finn?" kurt asked, interrupting his parents' discussion about the play they had seen that day.

finn laughed and the king gave him a dirty look. "when your brother is king and he can take care of himself, your mother and i have more time to look after you, and we will loosen the reigns a bit. but for now it's better if you are safe."

"but finn is the one you should be protecting!" kurt yelled, slamming his fist on the mahogany.

his family all looked up at him, appalled by his outburst.

"all the boy wants to do is have some more space to ride that horse around," the queen said to her husband quietly.

"i won't have him parading around the kingdom just a few months before the coronation! that is my final decision!" the king continued to eat, a bit more aggressively, and kurt rolled his eyes.

"may i be excused?" kurt asked.

"yes, dear," his mother said.

kurt stomped out of his seat and up the large bronze stairs to his bedroom. the castle was very large, and it was a trip in it's own to move from room to room. i don't ask for much, kurt thought as he pushed open the tall doors and lay on his bed. kurt tried to be the nice quiet prince both his father and the kingdom needed him to be, but in his heart he just wanted more in his life.

for 18 years he participated in classes, with finn, until he got too old for schooling, from a private tutor. kurt wasn't allowed to go to a university and study language like he dreamed, but he never complained. he never fussed about his royal garb, or about how he wasn't allowed to have any pets. well, he did ask for a horse.

kurt stood up and brushed his hair into place. he walked over to his dresser and took his crown off it's pillow and placed it on his head. he had a sharp, defined jaw and soft, golden hair that was neatly styled in a wave above his head.

he turned to face the framed mirror, beautiful gold patterns around it's edges. kurt stared at the person in the gold. he certainly was a prince. striking blue-green eyes and a tall, neat frame. he had posture that could only be possessed by someone of royal blood. but the person inside the golden leaves was not kurt. or at least, not how he thought of himself.

kurt took off his crown, and pulled his arms out of his coat. he gazed out the window overlooking the gardens. over a dozen staff-members were trimming and watering and tending to the breath-taking array of plants and flowers, but kurt was focused on what lay beyond the potted soil.

the sun stood high above the thin mountains, smiling down at the land with flaming rays. inside those rolling hills of rock and mud was a kingdom that avoided the smiles. a place unfamiliar to the kindness of nature.

but if there was one thing kurt had running through his body, it was kindness. so, he pulled off his gloves and headed outside to the stables.

* * *

the queen and king of wildermont were younger than the rulers of the other kingdoms in esterlyn. when they heard of the birth of a second child in merribourne, they knew they wanted to have a child of their own.

they tried and tried for over two years, and almost gave up on a child. the spirits of the villages slowly turned grayer, and the royal family's dream of raising an heir to the throne faded. but, miracles do tend to happen in situations like this, and the queen was able to announce her pregnancy to esterlyn.

when the baby boy was born, the entire kingdom held days of festivities celebrating the newborn prince. the castle doors were opened and the king and queen held more balls in a week than they had in the past decade combined. news spread around esterlyn of prince blaine and wildermont was happier and more lively than they've ever been. lights were wrapped around hundreds of trees, live music could always be heard, and smiles could be seen everywhere one looked.

wildermont didn't used to be a quiet kingdom, they were very joyful people. they found pleasure in simple things and took pride in their rustic lifestyle. the prince was just the one to surface that joy. the rest of the year wildermont was welcoming to the rest of esterlyn, and any tension between the kingdoms was lifted.

that is, until blaine's first birthday.

there was a small ball held in blaine's honor, and the growing prince was tucked into his crib at the end of a long night with a glowing smile.

that ball was where finn first laid eyes on the princess of beldale. they were very young at the time, and finn told his father all about lucile on the ride back home. his mother was eager to hear how the might went as well, as she stayed home with small kurt.

in the middle of the night the queen of wildermont awoke from loud crying and screaming. she rushed to blaine's room, bringing the king with her. they were horrified to see that blaine was no where to be seen, and one of the windows lay open.

a search party was sent out minutes after the king realized what had happened. every inch of the castle was scanned, and royal guards were sent to the village and surrounding forests in search of the birthday boy.

when they all came back empty, the queen broke down. she locked herself inside the castle and only wore black for at least a year. the one beautiful thing in her life that she could really call "hers" was gone, and she didn't know if she would ever get him back.

the lights were stripped from the trees, the musicians were silenced, and the people went on about their daily lives with their heads hanging. this is when wildermont was first closed off from the other kingdoms. they drafted villagers to build the greatest army to ever exist, so when blaine or his kidnapper was found, justice would be served.

they could not leave the throne empty for the next generation, and the queen brought another baby boy into the world a few years later.

the kingdom did not celebrate like they had with blaine's birth. the first few years of cooper's life it felt like the villages were holding their breath. no one knew if the villain that took blaine would return, but they kept quiet about cooper and celebrated his achievements and growth in secret.

young cooper was treated like a priceless jewel. he was, in some way. he brought a bit of the light back to wildermont, especially the queen. he did wonder why they celebrated the birthday of someone he never met, whom his mother claimed was his brother, but he liked the special cake he got to eat. the anderson family tried to move past the tragedy of their firstborn, and raised cooper to one day take over for his parents. as he grew the queen could sometimes only think of blaine.

she never saw blaine's first steps. his first lost tooth. his first day of schooling.

but she still had hope in her heart that one day she could at least see his face again.


	2. Chapter 2

teresa was a mysterious woman. she had aged forty and, despite her effort, failed to bring a child into the world. she had no significant other, and seduced men into staying with her for a few nights until they failed to help her in her mission for motherhood. she then forced them away.

eventually teresa gave up, and chose to try to adopt a child. she was told that she was too old, too poor, and her house was unfit to raise a baby. furious and filled with the need for revenge, she snuck into the castle one night. and not just any night, the baby prince's birthday. this way, when she would celebrate with him, it would be the anniversary of his arrival.

before she made her attack, she needed to plan ahead. she traveled through the far off woods to find a fit home for her and her son that was tucked away from the rest of esterlyn. one day, she stumbled upon an old wooden windmill. it was hollowed out, and there appeared to be a sturdy platform near the top. there were stairs spiraling around the outside of the windmill, and when she reached the top teresa decided this is where she would build her home.

she was going to keep blaine safe with her, and prove to everyone that she could raise a child.

she destroyed the stairs and used the wood to build a bed and furniture for blaine. she built a small kitchen and play area. she bought supplies and toys from the market and snarled at anyone who gave her funny looks.

but of course she needed a way to travel up and down the tower. she assembled a pulley system that used a circular seat and sturdy rope.

teresa was ready that night when she snatched blaine from his crib and disappeared from the castle almost magically.

she ran through the kingdom swiftly and quietly, and reached the tower without waking a single soul in the village. she left that to the ambush of guards that only reached the grounds after she and blaine were safe, miles from the outermost part of the kingdom.

teresa was able to raise blaine into a strong and wildly imaginative young boy. he had long curly hair that he parted and let fall around his ears. blaine quickly outgrew his enviroment as he aged. teresa was constantly building and buying new things for him, but she would not let anything take blaine away from her.

as long as he stayed inside, and stayed happy, teresa had nothing to worry about.

blaine's adolescence flew by. the stolen prince spent his childhood putting on plays for his stuffed animals, learning how to cook, and using his favorite present of all time.

when blaine turned ten, teresa decided to buy a piano for blaine. sure, it was a pain to haul up the windmill, but teresa noticed blaine quickly learned how to make his fingers dance on the keys. blaine had an unremarkable talent for the instrument, and was able to play the songs his mother sang for him after only hearing them a few times. playing the piano was one of the few things that brought blaine joy, and would one day come in handy.

teresa decided to tell blaine very little about the world outside the patch of grass and trees surrounding his home. he knew there was more, and he knew there were other people that looked like him and his mother, but he had no idea where they were and why he couldn't be with them.

"mother, can you cut my hair?" blaine asked one day when he was a young teenager. "it's past my shoulders."

teresa laughed. "of course. you have scissors in your craft drawer, go bring them to me."

blaine did as he was told and his mother shaped his hair into a neat collection of curls. he suddenly looked five years older.

"thank you, i love it," blaine said, giving teresa a big hug.

"anything you want, just ask, and i can get it for you."

there was something blaine was urging to ask, but he decided to keep that to himself for a while. a long while. years.

but on his 18th birthday, there was only present blaine had in mind. he was very fit for his age, and now stood a few inches taller than teresa. he pulled his now elderly mother up using the rope that scarred his hands with fresh scabs everyday, and tried to muster the courage to present his wish to her.

"welcome back!" blaine said cheerfully.

"happy birthday, my sweet boy," teresa said, giving blaine a kiss on his forehead. "i brought you a special treat! i managed to get my hands on those chocolates you loved, i hope you still like them," she handed blaine a black box with a bow on top. he opened the box and smiled at the goodies inside.

"i love it, thank you," he gave his mother and big hug and set the chocolates on a table beside him. "now, there's something i wanted to ask you..."

his mother sighed, "are the chocolates not enough? i knew i should've gotten more! i'm a terrible mother. i'm too old for this."

"no! you're not a terrible mother! you're the best one i could ever ask for. i love the chocolates. i just wanted to ask you about something."

teresa rolled her eyes, "go on then."

"well, i've been thinking, for quite a while now, about maybe, you know, going somewhere. maybe leaving the tower."

"blaine! how could you even think something like that would ever be okay? you know why i have kept you up here, and it's for your good, not mine. do you know how hard i work for you? i have given you everything, anything you ask for. everything you desire. it's all here! what more could you possibly want?"

blaine let his head fall, his hair creating a shadow over his eyes. "i don't know."

"promise me you'll never ask something like that again. don't even let thoughts of the outside world cross your mind. you are safe here, safe with me." teresa set the rest of her things down and gave blaine another hug. she realized just then that she had no idea what she was going to do when blaine was old enough to think for himself. what would happen when she died? she tried her best to keep the hundreds of questions now flooding in aside, and held blaine like she did when she first took him all those years ago. "i love you so much, blaine."

"i love you too, mother," blaine hugged his mother back, but he couldn't help but feel disappointed. all his dreams of the rest of the world had been swept off the table just like that, in one, clean wave. he could take care of himself. he knew mother was going back into town after dinner. he was older now, and he didn't need his mother to protect him like he used to.

he had to prove it somehow.

* * *

kurt brushed and tacked up mckinley in record speed. he tried to keep his head low to avoid conversation with the stable boys, and mounted mckinley right in his stable. he quickly adjusted the stirrups and took off in a canter towards wildermont.

his father had given him a few riding lessons, but he also learned how to ride properly and control mckinley from the stable boys. there were five or six of them who took care of the horses year long, and worked hardest in the winter. in kurt's opinion, they were underpaid and treated poorly for the amount of work and care they had toward the horses.

kurt managed to ride along the field unseen and was hidden safely behind the trees. this was his first time riding on anything that wasn't grass or dirt made for horses. he slowed mckinley to a trot and looked around the woods in awe. he had never seen tree bark this up close in what felt like forever, and he let his fingers brush over the scratchy skin as he traveled further from his home.

there was no path, he was making his own. kurt felt like he had finally escaped a beautiful island and was now splashing in the sea. 

wind rushed through kurt's hair as he picked up speed and tightened the reins. he felt as if he were no longer just a prince, no longer the little brother of the heir, but a boy. a boy who was free. kurt only wondered why he never tried this before. 

a few things he didn't think about was how he was going to find wildermont, what he was going to do when he got there, and how he was going to keep it identity a secret. he slowed mckinley to a walk and took off his vest and belt (which had the royal crest engraved around the buckle), throwing them on a nearby tree. kurt now looked less like a dirty prince and more like a rich commoner. he was proud of himself.

he continued to walk mckinley deeper into the woods, and the mountains that were once leading him to his destination were no where to be seen, and the thick trees made it hard to tell where the sun was. kurt had no idea where he was going, or how far he had gone. but it was too late to go back; for one, who knew how much trouble he was already in, and he wanted to avoid facing his father for as long as possible. as well as that, kurt wasn't ready to give up on his adventure just yet.

he rode for another few hours or so, and was able to enjoy the peaceful sunset. he felt like he was in his own little world, where no one could tell him what not to do. of course, one of the bad things about being alone is being alone.

kurt yawned and hopped off mckinley. it was now very dark, and he could barely see five feet in front of him. he slowed mckinley to a stop and considered his options. he could rest now until sunset and continue traveling in the morning, continue now in the dark, or just return home and pretend the whole thing didn't happen. he took a deep breath and realized the lack of thought he put into this adventure. kurt was about to turn around when he heard faint, almost inaudible music playing in the distance. 

kurt quickly sat up, and remained still so he could hear the music. "who's there?" he said. there was no response.

kurt jumped off mckinley and tied the horse safely to a tree. he started to walk in the direction of the music. he could barely make out where it was coming from, and kurt had to take slow steps to still hear the beautiful melody. who could have a piano in the woods? was a band practicing? why here, and at this time? were they from wildermont? 

as kurt got closer he realized the sound was coming from an old wooden windmill. the structure towered over 40ft, was someone inside it? he was scared to say anything, for all he knew the person, or creature, whatever was inside could be dangerous.

he noticed a hole in the windmill, and when he ducked under it he noticed two ropes hanging from the ceiling. he looked up, and through the holes in the wooden planks he saw a whole house was set up. was someone living here? there had to be. he pulled gently on one of the ropes, and the other lifted. it was a pulley. a piece of wood kurt could guess acted like a seat rested on the end of one of the ropes, and kurt sat down. the wood squeaked, but the music continued.

kurt pulled on the opposing rope and he began to rise up in the hollow structure. it was tiring work, and he wondered how the person in the space did this all the time. at about halfway kurt was about to give up, and suddenly, the music stopped.

"mother? are you back already?" the voice came from above kurt. it belonged to a boy, a boy probably around the same age as kurt. "hold on, i'll help you up."

a billion questions and even more possible answers started to run through kurt's head as he was lifted higher up the windmill. he had yet to see the face the voice belonged to. the top of the rope was attached to the very top of the windmill, and when kurt finally reached the top he tried to examine as much of the enviroment as he could.

"i'm sorry, mother, i just thought you were going to be back later, at least you sai-"

kurt felt his stomach lurch as he started to fall back down the windmill. his grip on the rope tightened as he was caught. 

"who are you!" the voice called down.

kurt looked up as he tried to find the shape that was talking to him. "ku- kurt. my name is kurt."

"what are you doing here?" the boy said. he sounded very protective of his space.

"i- i- was just riding through the woods and i heard your music."

there was a long moment of silence. and then kurt felt himself being lifted up again. his head poked through the floor and he finally got a look at the boy.

he was young, no older than kurt, and had very soft dark curls that framed his face. he had kind eyes that appeared angry and scared and excited at the same time. he was tall, with a rather strong build. the boy's round face and pale skin were alluring and delicate and kurt felt himself staring.

but he wasn't the only one. this was the only face blaine had ever seen in his entire life other than his mother's, so of course he thought kurt's defined features were beautiful. blaine couldn't help but trace his eyes around kurt's eyes, and over his lips, which were curved in the slightest of smiles. 

"what were you doing in the woods by my tower?" blaine asked demandingly. he watched carefully as kurt's expression went from awestruck to threatened. blaine never knew he could impact the emotions of other things. everything was so new to him. he was still having time processing that there were people in the woods other than him and his mother.

"i came from merribourne. i was taking my horse for a ride."

blaine looked confused. "what's merribourne?"

every opinion or hypothetical kurt made up about the boy changed in that instant. was it possible that this boy had been kept up in the windmill all his life?

"it's a kingdom not far from here. is... is this where you live?"

"i've been in this place for as long as i can remember."

kurt wanted to stand up and hug blaine, but he remained halfway through the floor. he pulled himself up and walked over to the boy. the boy backed away, scared that kurt might try to hurt him. kurt stopped walking.

"i don't want to hurt you."

"then why have you come here? who are you?" blaine yelled.

kurt had already answered that. he was practically the same height as the boy. kurt reached out to take his hand, and noticed his whole body was almost shaking. the boy pulled his hand away before contact could be made. 

blaine continued to study kurt. what did he want with blaine? was he telling the truth? was everyone else in the world, that was apparently even larger than blaine imagined, as pretty as kurt?

"what's your name?" kurt asked.

"blaine," he replied, still using a defensive tone. should he have lied? was kurt going to tell everyone about him? blaine prayed kurt couldn't see the panic in his eyes. 

"blaine, i am not here to hurt you. i had no idea there was anyone else here, let alone an entire home," kurt said, gesturing to blaine's set up.

kurt stepped forward again and placed his hand on blaine's cheek. what kurt wanted to say was "what happened to you?" but he decided to comfort the boy. for all kurt knew, he was the first person blaine had met other than his mother, ever. 

blaine jumped at the touch. it was the strangest feeling to be touched by another boy for the first time. his hands were larger than his mother's. they were cleaner, and more velvety. blaine looked down at his socks, his chocolate charcoal hair falling over his eyes in their natural waves. the question he asked himself every day rose out of his mouth for the first time since he was a child.

"is the world a violent and scary place?" blaine asked quietly.

kurt's heart tugged. how broken was the boy named blaine? "no, it's not violent and scary. things can be frightening sometimes, but good things definitely outnumber the bad."

blaine threw kurt's hand away. "get away from me," blaine said.

"what?"

"i said get away from me!" he repeated, this time shouting. "you have to leave! mother will be back soon!"

kurt stepped forward again. "hey, it's okay, i didn't know."

blaine looked around the rooms frantically, his mind overwhelmed and scrambled, and grabbed a small knife off the countertop. "don't make me use this." blaine muttered.

"it's okay." kurt didn't want to leave. he wanted to know more about the boy, but he slowly stepped back and reached for a rope.

"wait," blaine said, setting down the blade. "you can't let anyone know i'm here. i don't want any trouble."

kurt nodded, letting the rope fall from his fingers. he noticed blaine's hands, scarred and scabbed.

"how big is the world?" blaine asked.

"bigger and brighter than you could ever imagine."

"i still think you should go. if mother found you here..."

"okay," kurt said calmly.

blaine chose to not respond, and lowered kurt down the windmill, below his whole life, everything he knew. 

"will you come back?" blaine asked, looking straight ahead of him.

"yes," kurt called up. i'll bring you the world."


	3. Chapter 3

blaine felt his breath slow as the crunch of footsteps disappeared. his hands remained on the rope, the blisters from the weeks before throbbing. he had just met another person. another boy, like him. but very different than him.

this boy, in particular, was from somewhere he called a "kingdom." blaine thought there were only towns, like where mother went to work and to buy things. but kurt, the stranger from another universe, claimed there was so much more.

and mother always said blaine was so tall, he though so too, as he towered over her by almost twelve inches. were all the other boys in the world tall like kurt? was this yet another secret he realized his mother was keeping?

the added mystery was the stranger arrived on his birthday, right after blaine proposed his adventure into the world. was kurt a god answering his prayers? he had told blaine in this last words that he would bring him the world. was he serious?

blaine let one of his hands fall off the rope and hover over his cheek. kurt's warm touch, so sincere; he felt like when kurt touched him a thousand emotions flooded from his fingers into blaine's blood, and were now pumping through his body. 

his gesture was not the only thing kind and fair. his face was surely that of a god, with his chiseled cheekbones and a thin waist. would he really return? would blaine be able to feel his touch again?

but how would he know the way to return? kurt claimed he was lost, or perhaps all this time it had been blaine's quarters he was searching for. he tried to keep himself from dreaming, but his head was far into the stars now, as golden as the hair painting kurt's head. he was dancing in his fantasy, taking the moon and spinning it gracefully. he imagined he was dancing with kurt. 

was a boy allowed to dance with another boy in the outside world? blaine only ever danced with his mother when he was young, and without real music. what could dancing to a piano _and_ singing sound like? what other instruments were there? what would it feel like to hold another boy's hand? 

blaine felt himself drop the rope, letting the wooden stool fall to the dirt. he started moving his feet across the large floor. "one hand on the lady's shoulder and one holding her hand," is what his mother told him to do. but instead of her, he pictured kurt standing in front of him. blaine started humming one of the lullabies mother sang to him, but made the tempo faster to match his quick steps.

he was dancing to the music of the stars, and dancing with the moon himself.

his eyes felt close and he let the rhythm take over. kurt: the god, the stranger, the traveler, the miracle, the beauty. 

"blaine? are you even up there?"

blaine's eyes flew open and his feet froze. he sighed, returning to reality. it was a very short trip, but the view was wretched. he walked back to the rope and pulled his mother up. his arms were tired, but she was lighter than kurt.

"hello, mother," blaine said in an unconvincing cheerful tone. 

"what's wrong with you? eat too many chocolates?"

blaine looked at the full box of treats on the table. "i guess," he let a small giggle escape, but mother was so focused on fixing her hair that she didn't even notice. 

"so what have you been up to tonight?" she asked, still facing the mirror.

"playing, mostly."

"uh-hu..." 

sometimes it annoyed blaine how his mother could be focused on herself and ignore blaine at times, but he couldn't really complain. despite his recent encounter with a god, she had managed to provide him with a wonderful childhood full of incredible experiences. she taught him the same things any other child would learn, and he got to do it in the most personalized way imaginable. 

mother told him that the school in town could have over forty children in one classroom.

"mother, are there places other than the towns you visit?" blaine asked discreetly. he tried to hide the fact that he did know the answer, and just wondered what she would say.

"of course! you can see the forest from the window. who knows how far they stretch," his mother replied, now washing her hands.

"yes but are there more people out there?"

mother laughed. "why are you suddenly interested in the rest of the world? i thought we agreed to drop the topic."

"i was just wondering, you keep saying how it's dangerous out there, but-"

"i said, i thought we agreed to drop, this, blaine!" mother yelled. she slammed the water off.

"i- i'm sorry."

she dried her hands and walked over to blaine, placing her hands on his shoulders. "i know you're young, and curious, and the world is a big place, bigger than you know, and bigger than i've told you before. i know it might not be what you want to hear, but i have to keep some things from you to protect you. i'll tell you when you're older, and maybe even show you things. but for now we have to just pretend that this is the world. you, blaine, are my world."

blaine smiled. "alright. but you have to tell me more. maybe as a birthday present next year!"

"you never stop dreaming, do you?" she asked, ruffling blaine's hair. he straightened it out and giggled. "do you have any laundry? i'm taking it out in the morning."

blaine nodded and walked over to his area.

teresa started to worry if blaine's interest in the world would grow. as a child he was so content about his living situation, it was like waking up. his hunger for knowledge would always be expanding. she wondered why the sudden interest, but the thought quickly drifted. 

"would you play something for me?" teresa asked.

blaine looked up, "what? oh, yes."

he walked over to the piano and started to play a love ballad that his mother once sang. he forgot the lyrics, but the notes and chords were fresh in his mind. the tone of the song was very vulnerable and sensitive, and blaine now saw those words in a whole other light. his hands flew across the keys with ease, more emotion shooting out of them than ever before.

before when he played a song like this he thought of his mother, he thought of his happy life filled with love from her and how everything was how it should be. but after kurt, it was a love song to him and the rest of the gods. it was a cry for more, for everything that was there his whole life that he never even thought about the possibility of.

there was so much more, and it was kept from him this whole time. 

the pain of 16 years of ignorance came rushing through his fingers, and the tempo of the soft ballad almost doubled. they say not knowing something leads to happiness, but when you know you didn't know, it feels like torment.

"blaine! stop! what has come over you!" mother yelled, cutting him off. he still had another chorus. 

"nothing, i just wanted to try something different." blaine was breathing a bit heavier than before the song. "that's all."

mother wasn't convinced. her suspicion of something- she didn't know what, but something happening- started creeping back into her. he was different. he had seen something, or heard something, or maybe even _felt_ something. 

"i'm fine, mother." blaine said, turning back to the piano. "i have one more chorus."

he repositioned his hands on the piano and played the first few chords before mother cut him off again. "i think it's time for bed now."

"just one more chorus," blaine said, finding the chord and replaying it, using the song's original tempo.

"blaine! i said bedtime!" she stood up and stomped her foot on the thin floor. blaine jumped and took his fingers off the piano.

as blaine shrank into his bed, his thoughts flooded back to the events of the evening. he was hesitant to put his cheek on his pillow, afraid the kurt's touch would wear off. but as soon as he did, he drifted to sleep, more tired than he though he was.

* * *

kurt walked away from the windmill slowly, his mind racing uncontrollably. what on earth had happened in the woods outside wildermont? and, more importantly, why did no one know about it? his boots snapped the leaves into powder and his mind turned his thoughts to salt; sharp crystals that he couldn't handle all at once.

mckinley was right where kurt left him, munching on some grass. "have you had yourself a snack?" kurt asked the horse.

he picked up the saddle pad from the ground and re-tacked mckinley. he was going to ride back to the castle, put mckinley in his stall, go up to his bed, and act like nothing ever happened.

kurt was scared to go faster than a trot, so he posted through the woods. they were pitch black compared to the light when he rode into them. the trees seemed to taunt him, rather than lure him in. he already felt his secret sink in his stomach.

when he escaped the branches and walked slowly on the smooth green glass plants, blaine and his mother would continue their life in the forest. they continued the life they had been living for the past 15 years, at least.

kurt felt his hand quivering where he had touched blaine's blushed complexion. the tingle in his fingers reminded him that blaine was a real person. a real person with real feelings, and no where to express them.

kurt knew he had to return to the windmill, and find out more about the boy and his life. he said he would bring blaine the world, and that was just what he was going to do.

as he approached the castle, kurt started to get nervous. what would happen if he got caught? he would never find out. he would never be found.

he silently slid off mckinley and untacked him. "thank you for taking me there. i owe you," he said, petting the horse.

kurt took the back entrance through the kitchen, up the stairs, around the corridor to his bedroom. he moved the big door just the slightest, wiggled into his bedroom, and shut the door behind him. he released a huge breath and fell back on his bed.

it was too large. it was a bed that three people should sleep on, not one. kurt threw one of his pillows on the ground.

he felt guilty. guilty for ever complaining about his life. he had everything! everything anyone could possibly want. he was a prince for god's sake! he lived in a palace with servants and maids and chefs and a brother who was there for him and parents who cared. he was going to go to sleep tonight in his giant bed with an expensive quilt a top of him and famous paintings hung on his walls. and when he woke up a large breakfast was prepared just for him, enough food to serve a whole village for a week.

he was tired, even too tired for sleep. kurt turned his head and looked out the window. the lurking mountains had more secrets within them then he thought. miles and miles of secrets not any of the kings could dream of. one of those secrets was blaine.

when would kurt return to the boy? tomorrow? morning, or night again? night was safer. kurt could be able to sneak out and return again unnoticed.

he rolled over in his bed and tried to fall asleep. the faster he drifted into the strange world of his dreams the faster the next day would come.

kurt started humming the tune he first heard blaine playing. he didn't know where it was from, but he'd heard the melody before. after a few minutes, he entered the moon's trance.

he had a dream that night about blaine. he dreamed he was able to take blaine all around esterlyn, unveiling all of its jewels. they floated through all the years that blaine missed, and ended at a ball in merribourne. there was a dance in one of the villages, and kurt dreamed of him and blaine joining in the folk dance. kurt spun blaine like a princess and they giggled and glided along the dirty village square. when the dance ended, the two of them remained, standing in the middle of the festivities, breathing heavily. blaine was smiling, and he looked beautiful. in the dream, kurt started to lean in, closing his eyes...

"sir!" a female voice yelled, knocking on the door. the dream ended.

"yes?" he asked, trying to awaken and adjust to the autumn sun.

"you're late to breakfast!" it was a maid that was talking.

"i'm almost ready," kurt replied, trying not to sound half-asleep.

he sat up, pushing his hair out of his eyes and putting his glasses on. the heat pouring in from the windows made his head hurt, as well as then standing up too fast.

kurt tried to assemble bits and pieces of his dream together. he was with blaine, dancing, then... what was he going to do? he couldn't remember.

he just pulled on a fresh outfit and walked back into his life as prince kurt.

the rest of his family was already sitting around the large table, discussing something important. kurt didn't engage in the conversation and sat down as the maids arranged a plate for him.

"kurt! have a good night's sleep?" the queen asked.

kurt just nodded, swallowing a bit of egg. he didn't feel like talking, he was too wrapped up in his own mind to be in the real world as well.

he did tune in, however, when the topic suddenly changed.

a woman, who's last name kurt knew to be hooper, walked in. ms. hooper walked towards the king with a sad but satisfied expression on her face. "it's done, your highness," she said.

father nodded and ms. hooper walked away.

"what's done?" kurt asked, perking up.

"just an arrest. nothing too serious," the king responded.

"just an arrest? what for?"

"why the sudden interest, kurt?" his mother asked.

"i'm just wondering," kurt replied.

"we caught one of the servants- um... doing inappropriate things last night."

"and so you arrested him?" kurt asked, suddenly angry.

"no, no, i mean yes. you see... my dear, can you explain?"

kurt's mother sighed. "he was inappropriately touching another man. that's all. we arrested him so he could learn that what he did was wrong. it's only a few weeks in prison. nothing to worry about."

"thank you," the king said under his breath, but kurt heard him.

why was father so touchy on the topic? kurt was incredibly confused. why would his parents think that a boy loving another boy was wrong, and should be punished? perhaps if the man was doing something mean or without the other man's permission, he should be punished. but from what kurt heard he figured neither of the men were doing anything wrong.

kurt chose to keep these opinions to himself.

"may i be excused?" kurt asked.

"but you've barely eaten anything!" his father said, still upset with him.

"i'm not hungry."

"love, let him go," the queen said.

kurt almost leaped out of his chair and walked towards the entry hall. he walked quickly, his long legs taking long strides. a guard opened the castle doors, and kurt inhaled the crisp air. it was the same air that all of the villagers were breathing. the same air as blaine and his mother, and the same as the other kings and queens in esterlyn.

so why did certain people think they were better than others? we were all people, all surviving. why did some get to live?

kurt was lost in his head. he seemed to escape in these thoughts so often he ought to fill the hole in his head. he needed to get out.

but when he reached those tall gates, the guards took a step closer to the opening.

"sorry, your highness," a guard said.

"please," kurt said.

"we're sorry but we must follow the king's orders," the other added.

"i just need to take a little walk. i won't go farther than you can see. please."

kurt's expression and tone of voice seemed to convince the guards, but they didn't budge. "sorry, your highness-"

"don't call me that!" this was kurt's second outburst of the day. "don't- don't call me that! it's ridiculous! i'm not some pet! i'm a man and i want to take a walk around my kingdom for goodness sake! why do i have to be kept inside this cage of a courtyard!" kurt turned and ran towards the gardens before the guards could respond.

he didn't know what about meeting blaine made him feel so negatively towards his environment, but kurt found himself disgusted with almost everyone inside the castle walls. he thought back to what he said to blaine. how could he bring this boy the world if the only he world kurt knew was within these gates?

"it was the lost prince's birthday yesterday," kurt heard one of the gardeners say.

"oh, please. that's just another silly wildermont tale."

kurt, at the time, didn't know to consider what the women were talking about. he didn't even think for a second that someone he knew- someone whom he was going to see that very night, would have anything to do with silly wildermont tales.


End file.
